Keep Me Close
by VyxenSkye
Summary: RenIchi. A silly mistake leaves Ichigo temporarily blind, and Renji is sent to protect him. But through the ups and downs of fully healing this injury, as well as attacking Hollows, Renji discovers that Ichigo means more to him than he thought…
1. Chapter 1

Keep Me Close

By: Hitokiri Musei

Rated: T

Summary: RenIchi. A silly mistake leaves Ichigo temporarily blind, and Renji is sent to protect him. But through the ups and downs of fully healing this injury, as well as attacking Hollows, Renji discovers that Ichigo means more to him than he thought…

Warnings: While this is not my first Bleach fic, it is my first attempt at RenIchi. I've read a lot of them, and I'm a massive fan of the pairing, but I've never tried to write it before. Please do be a little gentle with me!

Updates will probably be few and far between; I am a working college student after all!

I don't own Bleach. I cry.

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Chapter 1

Abarai Renji slid the door open, bowing in respect as he stood before his captain. Byakuya was currently examining a paper that lay before him on his desk, his dark eyes scanning the sheet. Renji knew that the paper contained some sort of information for him; there was no other reason as to why Byakuya would call him in to his office.

Byakuya looked up as Renji entered the room. "Renji."

"Yes, Kuchiki-_taichou_?"

"I am to send one of my trusted officers to Karakura Town to watch over the _shinigami-daikou_ Kurosaki Ichigo for a time, as he is unable to protect himself and the town adequately." Byakuya said calmly. "I have chosen you for that task."

Renji's eyes widened faintly, and he felt pride swell in his chest as he realized that Byakuya had just mentioned that he trusted him. Then his expression grew serious. "Something's wrong with Ichigo?"

Byakuya nodded. "The report does not detail it, but I have been informed that there was a Hollow attack a few days ago that left Kurosaki Ichigo injured. I do not know the extent of his injuries, however. Can I count on you to get this job done, Renji?"

Renji nodded sharply. "Of course, Kuchiki-_taichou._ How long am I to stay with Ichigo?"

"Until he is able to protect himself and the town once more. We do not want to lose his power; he is a very valuable asset to our war with Aizen." Byakuya replied, setting the papers down on the surface on his desk. He gestured, and a hell butterfly fluttered over to him. "This butterfly will take you there."

"Thank you, _taichou._" Renji said, bowing once more and then following the hell butterfly out of the room. The redhead snuck a hand down to grip his zanpaktou's hilt as he ran, his thoughts traveling to the orange-headed _shinigami-daikou_.

He felt Zabimaru shift faintly where his precense resided in his mind, and then the spirit's voices echoed in his mind. **Any idea what's wrong with him?**

Renji frowned slightly, pressing his lips together. _No idea. However, if it's something that's knocked Ichigo out of commission, it must have been something pretty bad._

He felt Zabimaru's firm agreement in the back of his mind. Though the zanpaktou hadn't had much interaction with Ichigo and Zangetsu, the monkey spirit had a certain respect for the both of them. Renji's fight with Ichigo had been quite an interesting clash, and then the bankai training had given Zabimaru a bit of a comradeship with the moon zanpaktou.

The _senkaimon_ closed behind him as he entered the living world, running into dark skies and a lightly drizzling rain. Renji sighed, leaning his head back in the cool water. He loved rain; the Seireitei got it occasionally, but it didn't happen often. He started moving towards Ichigo's small apartment that he had showed up near, his hand still wrapped around his zanpaktou's hilt.

Renji leapt up to the floor that Ichigo was on, landing lightly on the balcony. Ichigo had moved out of his family's house not long after he turned 18, the want to be on his own coupled with the fact that it was closer to the college driving him. He left his balcony doors unlocked, ready for any shinigami visitors that might come.

The redhead pushed the door open, closing it lightly behind him as he moved into the small living room of the apartment. It was dark inside; he figured that Ichigo must still be sleeping. He headed towards the bedroom, wanting to know if the orange-head was asleep, as well as curious as to what had happened to him.

He pushed the door open to a dark room, his eyes adjusting easily as he spotted the lump curled up on the bed beneath the covers. Renji moved closer silently as Ichigo shifted on the bed, a soft sound coming from his lips. Curious, Renji stood beside the bed and gazed into Ichigo's face.

For once in his life, Renji got the chance to see Ichigo without the constant scowl. In sleep Ichigo was calm and relaxed, his eyebrows smoothing out and his face lax in calm sleep. His lips were parted slightly, not pressed together as they usually were, and his breath was soft and even. Renji could see his eyes moving slightly beneath his eyelids, and his face was a little pained, but this was the most relaxed that Renji had ever seen Ichigo. It was a bit of a shock, as well as a treat for the redhead.

At that moment Ichigo's lips thinned, and then his eyes snapped open, staring up into Renji's red-brown eyes. The redhead instantly moved back, giving Ichigo space, but to his shock the _shinigami-daikou_ continued to look around, his eyes darting back and forth.

"Who's there?" he demanded sharply, sitting up and clenching both hands into fists.

Renji was stunned speechless. His mouth opened, but not a sound escaped his lips. Ichigo's head turned, his face back in its customary scowl, though Renji could see a faint hint of fear in those features.

_He… He's blind?.!_

"Answer me!" Ichigo's voice was angry and sharp as he stood, moving forward where he no doubt felt Renji's presence. Ichigo had never been much of a reiatsu reader, but Renji knew that orange-head should know enough to be able to identify him.

**He's only just woken, dolt. He probably hasn't thought of that yet. Imagine you being woken from a solid sleep like that; you would probably do the same thing. **

Renji agreed silently with Zabimaru, and finally forced himself to speak. He didn't have to though, at that moment Ichigo frowned, and then realization dawned on his face. "Renji?"

The redhead nodded reflexively, and then swore inwardly when he realized Ichigo couldn't see it. "Yea, it's me."

Ichigo's scowl deepened. "Bastard, why didn't you say something? You nearly gave me a heart attack."

Renji fumbled at that. "I… I was…"

The orange-head's expression relaxed a touch. "Oh. You were… Yea…"

They both faded off into uncomfortable silence, and then Ichigo took a few steps backwards, searching with his feet until the back of his knees hit his bed. He then sat, his face turned in Renji's direction. "Well, come and sit down, Pineapple. I knew they were going to send someone to look out for me, but I never expected you."

"My division was chosen." Renji said dazedly as he followed Ichigo's instructions, not even bothering to correct the nickname. "Kuchiki-_taichou_ picked me to go. He knew that I would be able to handle it, and that you were comfortable around me."

Ichigo shrugged, his eyes in Renji's direction. "I figured they would send Rukia."

"She's away for a while on a series of missions dealing in the Rukongai. I don't know the exact details, but that's what's going on there."

There was another silence, and then Renji spoke quietly. "So… what happened?"

Ichigo sighed, and then reached to his left, his hand searching. Renji realized what he was going for, and leaned across the orange-head, flipping on the lamp beside his bed. Ichigo smiled sadly as the redhead settled back down. "Thanks. I'm still getting used to it; I forgot that it was dark in here. I suppose you would like to see, even if I can't."

Renji was too busy looking at Ichigo's face. His eyes were open, but the skin around them was a little shiny; obviously burn marks. His eyes though, they were the biggest change. Usually Ichigo's chocolate eyes were full of determination, pride, fire, the very things that made Ichigo who he was, but now they were just blank, a faint grayish color dimming the normal rich chocolate brown. They were bloodshot as well, the red veins latticing across the white.

Ichigo smiled slightly. "Yea, a bit of a sight, aren't they? At least, that's what I've been told. I really have no idea."

The redhead shook himself, looking away. "I'm sorry, Ichigo."

The other man shook his head. "Don't be, I suppose it was my own stupid mistake. There was a new type of Hollow; I'd never seen anything like it before. It was rather small, so I didn't think anything of it. What I didn't realize was that it had a particular ability that I've sort of run into before. There was a Hollow a long time ago, right around when I first became a shinigami that could spit out bombs that he would make explode with a sound he made with his tongue. This one was very similar, only it blew _itself_ up when it knew that it was done."

Renji raised an eyebrow. "Really now? That's certainly unusual. I've never seen a Hollow that would willingly kill itself."

Ichigo nodded. "Same here. I almost had it too, and then it leapt towards me. I started to raise Zangetsu, but it exploded just in front of my face. Apparently the damn thing was full of acid; I got sprayed pretty badly across my face. Lucky thing Orihime was nearby; she heard me…" Ichigo swallowed faintly. "She heard me screaming."

The redhead looked taken aback at that. He had never really heard Ichigo scream.

"I don't really remember much after the explosion." Ichigo murmured, his face downturned. "All I know was that I wanted to claw out my eyes; it hurt that bad. It felt like something was eating my face off as slow as it could, peeling off my skin layer by layer."

Renji shuddered.

"When I came to I couldn't see anything, but the pain was gone. Orihime was there, and she told me that she had done all that she could, but the damage was far back in my eyes; she couldn't seem to get it to heal with her Shun Shun Rikka. She worked for nearly three hours she told me." Ichigo said softly. "I owe her for that much, I guess. She said that the damage was so extensive that she managed to heal most of it, but she was exhausted, so I made her stop and told her that she could try again later."

"Was it that bad?" Renji asked. "I thought that Orihime could heal anything."

Ichigo nodded. "She told me that all the nerves and arteries that connect my eyes to my brain, as well as a lot of the ones that move them and focus my pupil, all those things in my mind, are destroyed. The acid got in my eyes and worked its way right down to my brain. If Orihime hadn't gotten there in time, I probably would have died; it would have eaten right through my brain. She was racing to heal as the acid was racing to destroy; that made it harder and a lot more exhausting. She said that she's managed to stop the progress of it, so it won't go any further, but this is about as much as she could heal for now."

Renji was shocked. Ichigo had nearly died, and if they hadn't known Orihime, and the gentle woman hadn't been there to help, Ichigo would have. The redhead was silent for a long moment, absorbing what Ichigo had told him. "Wow. Good thing we know Orihime."

Ichigo snorted. "That's the understatement of the century. I owe her my life." He suddenly chuckled faintly. "Then again, I suppose I usually do."

Quiet reigned for a moment, and then Renji spoke up. "So… where do I sleep?"

The orange-head sighed. "We'll figure it out. I guess you're gonna be here for a while."

Ichigo stood, carefully walking across his room towards the closet at the other end. He kept his hands stretched out in front of him, his fingertips hitting the door as he reached the side. He slid the door open, his hands searching inside. Renji watched with a pang in his heart, standing and moving toward the teen. He reached out, putting a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. The orange-head flinched at the touch, not expecting it, but then turned his head towards Renji.

"Renji?"

"Where is it, Ichigo? I'll get it."

Ichigo's face grew stubborn. "I don't need your help. I'm not an invalid." He turned back to the closet, his hands reaching again.

Renji sighed, and then carefully steered Ichigo in the right direction, making sure that the teen found the right thing that he was looking for, the extra futon in the closet. Ichigo said nothing about the help, but pulled the futon down and unfolded it on the floor beside his bed. Renji made no move to help him, knowing that it would only anger the man.

As soon as he'd finished, Ichigo took a step back, waiting until the back of his knees hit his bed before sitting down. It was quiet for a moment, and then Ichigo sighed. "Thanks Renji."  
Renji smiled faintly, shaking his head. "Don't mention it, Strawberry."

Ichigo glared in his direction at the name, but felt his tension ease. "Well. I'm going to go to sleep; I'm still a little tired from what happened."

The redhead nodded. "I'll be down here. Wake me when you get up, okay? I don't want to leave you by yourself."

"I don't need your help!"

Renji smiled to himself, settling in the futon. _Whatever you say, Ichigo. But I'm not going to leave you alone like this. You wouldn't be able to protect yourself._

* * *

_I made up most of the facts that Ichigo spouted off about his eyes, so don't pay too much attention to that... Um, other than that, nothing really exciting... Hope you like it, feel free to ask questions!_


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, I really don't know what to say. 14 reviews and 165 hits, I'm in awe! I don't think that one of my stories has ever done this well, especially only in the first two days it's been up! -grovels- I am not worthy to be in the precense of such almighty readers! I guess all I can hope for is that I still get the same reactions. I got many complements on how well I stuck to their characters (THANK YOU ALL!) and I only hope that I continue to do that in this chapter. I must admit, I found it harder and harder as the story went on, though I tried. Do give me advice if I waver too much, but nonetheless I'm going to put a minor warning in for some OOC action. Other than that, enjoy!

I don't own Bleach. I cry.

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Chapter 2

Renji awoke the next morning as the sun rose beyond Ichigo's window. He rolled over, and then sat up, rubbing a hand through the few loose strands of his hair and looking towards the bed. Ichigo was still curled up under his covers, snoring softly.

The redhead chuckled to himself at that; he had had no idea that the _shinigami-daikou_ snored. It was kind of cute.

He stopped himself there, shaking his head and pushing himself to his feet. He headed for the bathroom, splashing water on his face and relieving himself before heading back to the bedroom to wait for Ichigo to wake up. He pulled out his communicator, glancing at the screen before tucking it away again. Urahara was supposed to bringing him a gigai at some point.

Ichigo rolled over suddenly, startling Renji out of his thoughts. The orange-head shifted faintly, and then went still once more, going back to snoring. Renji smiled, and then pulled his long red braid over his shoulder, starting to undo the length and brush through his tangled hair.

After a few minutes of trying to get through a particularly nasty knot that accumulated somehow overnight, the redhead sighed and gave up for the moment, lowering his arms.

"Renji?"

Renji turned, his eyes meeting Ichigo's sightless ones as the orange-head sat up in bed. "Hey, 'bout time you woke up."

Ichigo yawned, rubbing a hand through his unruly hair. "Have you been up long?"

"Nah, not really." Renji went back to working at his hair, swearing softly. "Damn knot…"

Ichigo tilted his head. "What the heck are you doing?"

Renji growled at his hair. "Trying to get this stupid knot in my hair undone. I can't see the damn thing, it's too far back, and it won't untangle."

That made Ichigo chuckle softly, and the man got down to the floor, making his way towards Renji. "Here, I'll help. Where are you at?"

The redhead absently put out a hand, touching Ichigo's shoulder to guide him. The orange-head settled on his knees, his hands moving up Renji's arms to rest on his broad shoulders. He then carefully pulled his fingers through the long red strands, hunting for the knot before beginning to untangle it with precise fingers.

Renji sat quietly while Ichigo's fingers moved through his hair, staring at the wall in front of him. He knew that he should feel somewhat awkward, but he really didn't. Besides, Ichigo's hands in his hair felt nice. His touch was soft and gentle, and he was rather skilled at loosening the stubborn knot.

"You're pretty good at this." Renji murmured after a moment.

Ichigo blushed faintly, glancing away from where his blank eyes stared at the back of Renji's head. "Well, Karin would always come to me to get her hair brushed when she was really little. It was just… one of our little things, I guess. She used to have real long hair, back before my mother died. I was her "hair brusher" as she always called me." His face saddened for a moment. "She cut her hair after what happened. After that it was Yuzu who would come to me. It was her own way of comfort I suppose. She tried to take over the role of mother, but she still needed to be treated like the little girl she was. So I would brush her hair for her every night."

"That's… really something, Ichigo. Did she do that for a long time?" Renji asked.

Ichigo shook his head. "No. When she hit 14 she decided that she didn't need to be coddled anymore. She really grew up at about that time; sometimes I still wonder what happened to her. She was always mature, of course, but she really became a woman." He smiled. "I guess I still miss it some, though. It was our own way to bond."

Renji smiled. "You can brush my hair if you like, Ichigo." His tone was clearly teasing, amusement dancing in his eyes.

Ichigo growled faintly, smacking the back of Renji's head. "Shut up, Pineapple. I'm only doing it cause you were whining."

"Right, sure, like I'd believe that." Renji drawled, the smile growing. It had been some time since he had bantered like this with Ichigo, and it was starting to feel like old times. While the two of them had always been rivals, over time, and through the war, they had become more like old friends. Renji considered Ichigo a valuable ally and friend, and he wouldn't trade the relationship he had with the _shinigami-daikou _for anything.

Ichigo scoffed lightly, but continued to run his hands through Renji's long red locks. "There, all done." he said lightly a moment later, pulling back and moving back into a cross-legged position. Renji ran a hand back over his hair, and then quickly and deftly tied it up into his customary ponytail.

"Thanks Ichigo."

"Don't mention it."

The orange-head rose to his feet, keeping a hand along the wall as he reached it to guide himself towards the bathroom. Renji went out of the room and into the small kitchen, opening the fridge and looking for something that he could eat. He found a container with some rice balls in it, pulling it out and taking it to the table.

Ichigo came in a moment later. He carefully made his way to the table, sitting down and turning his head in Renji's direction. "What are you doing?"

Renji set a plate down in front of the orange-head, sitting down beside him. "Here, eat. I found some rice balls in the fridge."

"Ah, that's what Yuzu was putting in there the other day." Ichigo murmured softly, his hand skimming across the table until he found the plate, lifting a rice ball to his mouth. "She's always putting homemade stuff in my fridge."

Renji smiled, taking a bite out of his own. "She really does mother you, doesn't she?"

"She felt like she had to, after Mom died." Ichigo replied softly. "She was always rather maternal anyway, but that just reinforced it. She's always looking after me, even when I tell her not to worry about it. After they found out that I was a shinigami, she worried even more. She comes to see me often, and always brings food with her."

Renji chuckled, but then grew serious. "Does she know?"

"That I'm blind?" Ichigo asked. "No, I haven't told any of them. I don't want to worry them more than I have to. Besides, I can handle myself."

The redhead didn't believe him, but he said nothing, not wanting to damage Ichigo's pride. The two finished their meal in silence, and then Ichigo stood, picking up his plate and holding out a hand for Renji's. "Here, I'll put these away."

"Are you sure…"

Ichigo sighed. "Yes, just give it here."

Renji handed him the plate slowly. _I suppose it's going to take something actually happening to get him to realize that he does need my help, even though he doesn't want it. _

Ichigo moved slowly and carefully, but despite his efforts, his arm hit the cabinet that he failed to notice, sending the plates out of his hands and to the floor. He swore, kneeling down to pick up the broken pieces. Renji rose as well, heading over to take over so Ichigo wouldn't cut himself on the sharp pieces.

"Here, let me do it, Ichigo."

Ichigo glared in his direction, showing his hands away. "I got it Renji."

"Ichigo, come on, you can't even see them…"

"I said I got it! I'm not a child, I can handle it!" Ichigo said angrily, shoving at Renji again and reaching rashly for the broken plates. Not being able to see them, he grabbed the 

wrong end of the sharp broken porcelain, slashing open his palm. He let out a faint cry, flinching backwards and clutching at his bleeding hand.

Renji sighed, wrapping a hand around Ichigo's wrist and pulling his cut hand away from his body. He called his reiatsu into his hands, performing the only healing spell that he knew to close the wound. It wasn't a professional healing, and it was merely closed over, but it was no longer bleeding.

"You see, Ichigo? You're not invincible. Now please, just let me help you." Renji said softly, his hands gentle as he ran a few fingers over the cut to be sure it had sealed completely. "I know that you don't need to be babied, but you're _blind_. You need a little help."

Ichigo said nothing, his face turned away from Renji as he allowed the shinigami to heal him. He sighed after a moment. "Sorry. I guess I let my pride get in the way. I just… I hate feeling helpless or having to depend on anyone."

"It's fine, that's what I'm here for. I'm here for you to depend on; it's why I came, and why I accepted the job that Kuchiki-_taichou_ gave me. I want to help you out, because you're my friend." Renji said firmly, his hands leaving Ichigo's. "So let me do my job, okay?"

Ichigo was quiet for a few moments, and then he nodded. "Alright. Just… don't try to do everything for me."

"I was never planning on it."

* * *

I must admit, I had a lot of fun making up pasts for Ichigo and his family. I know that Karin probably never had long hair, but I thought that might be a neat little tradition for them to have, the hair brushing thing. And it gave me an excuse to have Ichi play with Renji's hair! Lol! Hope you liked, and please review!


	3. Chapter 3

Yay, chapter 3! This is where things really start getting harder to characterize...

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Chapter 3

Ichigo awoke with a start, his eyes flying open wide as he sat up straight in bed. His breathing was frantic and heavy, sweat soaking his skin. He put a hand to his forehead, running a hand through his damp bangs as he felt the cool air.

He didn't feel any warmth on his skin from the window, so he assumed that it was still night. As for what time, he had no idea at all. He turned his head to where he sensed Renji to be lying on the extra futon on the floor, listening.

He could hear Renji's steady and low breathing; he was still asleep. He turned his face again, trying to discover what had woken him in the first place.

There was another twinge in his mind, and his eyes widened. _I know that feeling…_

_**O' course ya do, aibou. Come now, I thought I'd taught ya better than tha'. **_

Ichigo jumped as the voice of his Hollow came to him; it had been some time since Shiro had spoken with him. He swallowed thickly. _It's a Hollow!_

_**We can't face 'im like this, aibou. Ya need ta wake tha Pinapple.**_

Ichigo nodded, turning his face. "Renji!"

There was a shifting sound, and then Renji groaned softly, turning over. Ichigo growled faintly, swinging his legs over the side of the bed and going to the floor. He crawled forward, finding Renji's back and shoving hard. "Renji, you dolt, wake up!"

The orange-head barely had a moment to think; strong hands wrapped around his wrists and slammed him down to the ground, his head bouncing off of the floor with a thump. He winced, closing his eyes and turning his head, automatically bracing himself.

He could feel Renji's heavy breath on his face, their faces extremely close together. Ichigo slowly opened his eyes, and then Renji gasped softly. "Ichigo!"

The tight grip left his wrists and Renji's weight was gone, leaving him panting on the floor. Renji's hand wrapped in his a moment later, pulling him off the floor. "Are you okay? I didn't know it was you, I'm sorry!"

Ichigo shook his head. "It's alright. I suppose that I deserved that one, for waking you like that. Now come on, there's a Hollow coming."

"A Hollow?" Renji turned his head toward the window, his eyes narrowing. "Are you sure? I don't sense one."

That made the orange-head blink. "You… You don't?"

_**Yer senses are gettin' stronger, aibou. Tha Hollow's not in range for 'im yet. **_

_Really? I… Wow, I never thought that I would be able to sense anything before anyone else. I'm not good at that sort of stuff._

_**Yer gettin' better, ya always were. **_Ichigo grinned; he could almost see the grin on his other half's face.

"Ah, there it is. Wow, Ichigo, I'm impressed." Renji murmured as he pushed himself to his feet, reaching to his bedside to grab Zabimaru. "You're getting better at sensing."

Ichigo looked away. "I'm pretty sure that it's my Hollow, you know."

"What?.!"

_**Nice one.**_

"Um…" Ichigo swallowed. He'd forgotten that Renji didn't know that he had Shiro, and now he was going to have to tell him, whether he wanted to or not.

Renji shook his head, sighing. "You know what, not right now. I need to take care of this Hollow before it gets here; I'm sure it's chasing after your reiatsu, what, with you spilling it out all over the place."

Ichigo sent a blank glare in his direction, but said nothing. Renji left through the window, leaving Ichigo alone with his thoughts.

_**Whatcha gonna do now?**_

Oh, and Shiro.

Ichigo sighed, leaning back on his bed while putting his hands behind his head. "I dunno. I guess I'm just going to have to tell him. There's no way to get around it now, not with that blatant declaration."

_**Ya got tha' right. Ya need ta be more careful. **_

"Yea, yea, I know. What I really need to do is think before I open my big mouth." Ichigo muttered. He heard a replying snort from Shiro, and then he felt Renji's presence at the window once more. He looked up as the redheaded shinigami leapt over him, his blank eyes following the movements that he could sense and feel in the air.

"Not bad." Renji muttered. "A fairly small one, but powerful enough to worry about."

Ichigo raised his nose a little, frowning. "You're bleeding."

Renji blinked, turning towards him. "Just a little scratch, not bad. How did you know?"

"I can smell it."

Renji grinned. "Very nice, Ichigo. I'm really impressed. Maybe this blind thing is good; all of your other senses are accelerating rather high."

Ichigo grinned in response to that. "Well, I suppose there's something good behind everything."

"So, what was that about a Hollow?"

The orange-head's grin fell from his face, and he swallowed thickly. "Well… I suppose it's about time you knew anyway. When I first lost my shinigami powers, Urahara helped me get them back. That involved me becoming a Hollow for an extremely short time." Ichigo grinned shakily, running a hand over his spiky hair. "I guess he just kind of stuck with me. I'm a vaizard."

"A vaizard, huh?" Renji murmured. "You don't look any different to me."

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "It doesn't change what I look like, you dolt. I just have the ability to use a Hollow's powers now. I have a mask and all."

_**Tha's all I am? A mask?**_

Ichigo scoffed. "And the annoying voice in my head to go with it."

_**Hey!**_

Renji raised an eyebrow. "Great, now you have voices in your head."

**So do you. **

"Well, other than your zanpaktou."

Ichigo chuckled. "You just got yelled at by Zabimaru, didn't you?"

Renji's cheeks colored. "Shut up." He pulled Zabimaru out of his belt, laying the sword on the floor beside the futon. "Come on, it's still early. Let's get some more sleep, I'm still tired."

The orange-head nodded slightly, and then settled back down on his bed, slipping beneath the covers and curling up on his side. He heard Renji do the same, and the redhead sighed in comfort as he got comfortable.

Ichigo simply listened to the sound of the other's breathing for a moment, and then he smiled. "Thanks, Renji."

There was a shifting of cloth. "Hm? For what, Ichigo?"

"For helping me out by taking care of that Hollow. I don't think I would have been able to handle it, at least, not very well. And…" the orange-head grinned, opening his eyes to stare up at the ceiling. "And for understanding about my own Hollow."

Renji's smile was apparent in his next comment. "No problem Ichigo. That's what friends are for, right? I mean, come on, I think that if he was a real problem we would have noticed him by now. You can obviously control him just fine, right? Besides, I think it's kind of cool that you have your own Hollow, even though it's a little strange. He's not all that bad, is he?"

Ichigo shook his head. "No, not at all. He's actually rather helpful, compared to what he used to be. He used to be a pain in the ass; he was always trying to get out at the wrong times. But for about the last year or so, he's been really supportive. He's even helped me train from time to time. He's part of the reason that I've learned how to sense reiatsu better."

The redhead 'hmm'ed in his throat. "I see. So he's not bad at all then. Therefore, he's kind of cool. Don't worry about it Ichigo, I'm not gonna jump down your throat for that. That's what my superiors are for; you don't need it from me. We all have our fair share of oddities; some of them are just… well, a little odder than others."

Ichigo snorted faintly, but smiled nonetheless. "Thanks Renji."

* * *

Renji was awoken not even an hour later by the sound of chattering teeth. Frowning, he opened his eyes, searching for the sound only to see Ichigo huddled in a ball under his covers, shivering violently. The redhead jumped up, running to his side and rolling him over, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Ichigo?.! Ichigo, what's wrong?.!"

Ichigo continued to shiver, and Renji was surprised to find his face flushed, his forehead burning with fever. Renji swore to himself, and then pulled out his communicator. After calling Rukia, who was staying with Orihime after completing her mission, and asking her to bring the girl, he turned his attention back to Ichigo, trying to find a way that he could help.

"Ichigo, what can I do?" he asked frantically, not really expecting a reply, but hoping that he would receive a hint.

There was a whimper from the orange-head, and then he spoke softly. "S-S-So c-cold…"

Renji reached down, feeling Ichigo's hand and gasping in shock. Even though his forehead was burning hot, his hands were as cold as ice. The redhead felt helpless, he wanted to help, but he had no idea what to do.

**He's freezing, you dolt. You need to warm him up.**

"He's already got a lot of the blankets…" Renji muttered.

**Try body heat. It works a lot faster and better. **

A faint blush raced across Renji's cheeks, but he nodded slightly as Ichigo's shivering accelerated. He slowly lifted the blanket, and slipped in to sit on the bed with his back against the wall behind him. Ichigo automatically moved towards his warm body, rolling onto Renji's legs and pressing his face against the warmth of the older man's stomach.

Renji awkwardly wrapped his arms around Ichigo's back, drawing them closer together in order to fully share his warmth as he spread his legs to allow Ichigo to fall between them. He shivered slightly at the chill of Ichigo's hands and arms; even though he was burning with fever, his entire body was freezing cold.

They hadn't been laying like that for long when there was a tap on the bedroom door, and Rukia and Orihime came in, worry in the orange-haired girl's eyes, confusion and concern in Rukia's. Orihime instantly came to the bed, panic flashing on her face as she saw Ichigo's flushed and panting visage.

"I'll need you to move away from him a little, Renji-kun. It will be easier for me to focus on him." Orihime said quickly. Renji instantly complied, moving off the bed and out from under Ichigo's still trembling frame.

The soothing golden color of Orihime's Souten Kisshun domed over Ichigo, Orihime sitting on the side of the bed so she could easily reach the orange-head. She frowned as she did her work, worry flitting into her eyes.

"What's happening to him?" Renji asked worriedly.

"The acid is spreading again." Orihime said worriedly. "I didn't clear it all out the first time like I thought I did. It's starting to attack his mind again. Since it's moving through his brain his body doesn't know how to react; that's why he's still freezing even though he has a fever nearly high enough to kill him. Don't worry though, I'll stop it again. Hopefully this time I can get rid of it."

Renji watched anxiously as Ichigo's shivering toned down, and then stopped, his breathing starting to ease and even out. He felt his heart ease, knowing that Ichigo was alright now.

Hopefully this time Orihime could clear the acid…


	4. Chapter 4

I HAS SEEN THE DIAMONDDUST REBELLION! GO WATCH IT!! NOW!!111!! It was so awesome!! I freaking loved it, and you guys will too! You must go watch it! DO IT!! Leave me a review though, please?

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Chapter 4

Renji stayed with Ichigo even after Orihime and Rukia had left, watching over him as the orange-head slept. Orihime had left with the assurance that the acid was gone now, and that all that remained was for Ichigo's nerves to start transmitting signals again to his eyes. She mentioned that it might take a while; she had been able to heal all of the connections from Ichigo's eyes to his brain, but it might take a while for them to figure out that he could see once more.

_"Give it a bit of time, his sight should come back before the week is out. I'll be back to check on him, okay?"_

Renji smiled to himself as he recalled Rukia's words upon leaving. _"Don't you let anything happen to him, Renji."_

The redhead chuckled. "No need to worry about that, Rukia." He reached out, his fingers skimming Ichigo's forehead. The heat was gone from the younger's body, and Renji was glad to know that he was on his way to getting better. It was a shock and a pain to see Ichigo crippled like this, even if it was only temporary.

Ichigo moaned faintly in his sleep, turning his head towards Renji's touch before going still once more. The redhead leaned forward to rest his chin on the heel of his hand, his red-brown eyes watching Ichigo silently. He respected Ichigo as a friend and a comrade, as well as a powerful warrior. Ichigo had always been a great ally to their group, but the more time that he spent with the _shinigami-daikou_, the closer Renji found himself becoming.

It had begun simply, months before Ichigo had been injured. After a particularly bad fight with a few Arrancar, the two of them had been talking about the enemies that they had both encountered. The sun had risen over the horizon when Renji turned to look at his friend, and the rays of sunlight pouring over him had given Renji a new look at the orange haired man. The smile on Ichigo's face and the pure relief on his features from learning that his friends were alright, Renji couldn't look away.

He couldn't help but think, at that moment in time, how attractive Ichigo was. When his face wasn't scowling and serious, he had his own sort of beauty, and it was something that appealed to Renji.

The redhead stared down at Ichigo where the orange-head lay before him, his red-brown eyes scanning the other's soft features. It amazed him how young Ichigo looked when he was relaxed, and the trials of war just melted right off of his face. Renji reached out, lightly stroking his fingers down the side of Ichigo's face. The orange-head shifted, pressing his cheek into Renji's touch and murmuring softly in his sleep.

Renji blinked, leaning closer to try and hear what he was saying.

"Ren…."

At that Renji's eyes lit up a little bit; Ichigo almost said his name. The redhead smiled, folding his arms and leaning down to rest his chin on them, his eyes still on Ichigo's face.

It wasn't long before he drifted off, the long night of worry wearing him down until exhaustion finally took him close to dawn.

* * *

Ichigo shifted in bed, slowly opening blank eyes at the warmth of the sun on his face. His body felt sore, and his head hurt, but other than that he felt okay. For some reason he had trouble remembering what had happened the night before, though he did remember flashes of what had gone on during the night.

He had been freezing from the inside out, even though his mind had felt ready to melt under the heat. His body had been aching from shivers, and then there had been warm hands, even warmer arms to enclose him.

Renji had been there, Ichigo knew. Renji had been there, and had held him while his body was wracked with shudders.

The orange-head froze as there was a sound from beside him, turning his head toward it. He reached out slowly, tentatively, and then smiled as his fingers came into contact with soft hair. _Renji's here…_

Obviously the redhead had fallen asleep watching over him, Ichigo could tell that he was curled up beside his bed, his head resting on his arms. His hair was in disarray; it had been braided last night, but had come loose at some point. Ichigo methodically undid the remainder of the braid, running his fingers gently through the long, red strands.

Renji made a soft noise of pleasure, turning his head to give Ichigo better access. The orange-head grinned at that, his fingernails lightly scraping over Renji's scalp before they ran fully through his hair and all the way down to the tips. Ichigo sighed faintly in content, curling his body closer and continuing to brush his fingers through Renji's soft hair.

The peace of the moment was infectious; tired and still a little achy, Ichigo drifted off again, his hand tangled in Renji's long hair.

* * *

When Renji awoke this time it was to Ichigo's peaceful face. The redhead blinked sleep from his eyes, a little confused at first, and then his red-brown eyes softened as he looked into Ichigo's sleeping features.

He could feel fingers in his hair, and he slowly lifted his head to see Ichigo's hand tangled in the ends of his hair. He smiled, reaching down to slowly slip his hair from Ichigo's grasp so he could sit up all the way.

As he touched Ichigo's warm hand, however, the orange-head shifted and his chocolate eyes opened, his hand tightening a minute before relaxing and slipping away. "Sorry Renji."

"Don't be." Renji replied softly, reaching out and putting his hand over Ichigo's, squeezing his fingers briefly before letting go.

A violent blush took over Ichigo's face, and for a moment he remained there, but then he yanked his hand away, looking away from Renji to stare at the wall, his customary scowl slipping back into place.

Renji chuckled to himself. _I had him for a minute there. It's hard to get him out of his shell. Well, gotta keep trying…_

Ichigo fiddled with his fingers, staring down at the blankets while trying to fight the blush off of his face. The uncomfortable silence was getting a little thick…

"How are you feeling?"

Ichigo looked up, a little startled, and then he smiled slightly. "A little sore, but other than that, I'm okay."

"I'm glad… You kinda freaked me out last night." Renji admitted, rubbing a hand through his hair. "I didn't know what to do to help you."

Ichigo's face softened a little at that comment. "Don't worry, you did pretty good."

Again the silence descended, and Ichigo shifted uncomfortably. "Um… Thanks, Renji. For everything. I'm not sure how everything would have gone if you weren't here."

Renji grinned at that. "No problem. That's what friends do, right? Besides, someone's gotta look after you. You need the help."

"Yea…"

* * *

_"Ah… ah…"_

_Hands. Heat trailing along his body, running fire down his skin. Ichigo threw his head back, moaning deep in his throat as hot lips skimmed across his neck and down his collarbone. _

_Bodies pressed together, and Ichigo moaned again, shivering violently as their forms fit together like a puzzle. He had never been so warm in his life; it was as though fire was flowing over his skin and down his spine. He arched his back, pressing their hips tighter together, searching for a closer feeling._

_"Ah… Mmm… More… P-Please…"_

_He was incoherent at this point, the only things he could force out of his mouth were pleas and soft sounds of ecstasy and pleasure. He could feel hair flowing over his hands as he ran them up a strong muscled back, clasping his hands claw-like on broad, powerful shoulders._

_"Ah… I… Don't let go…"_

_There was a chuckle, and then a soft growling noise in the other's throat. "Right there, Ichi? Come, call my name. Call me."_

_Ichigo arched his body once again, his head thrown back against the white pillows, his legs tightening where they were wrapped around slender, muscular hips. His arms clutched tighter, his hands curled in soft hair._

_"RENJI!"_

* * *

Brown, blank eyes snapped open, staring into the blackness that he now saw every day. Ichigo automatically raised a hand to his face, covering his eyes and attempting to cover the blush that was rapidly taking over his features.

_What the hell was that?.!_


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter is a tiny bit short, but that's okay. I'll post the next chapter within two days to make up for it. I got a lot of people that enjoyed the little mini sex scene last chapter... lol, I'm glad I could please! I just hope that you like the action in this chapter as well!! -wink wink- Please review! OO, speaking of which, this story is at 52 reviews! -faints- I feel so loved! Thank you guys!! -grovels- I feel so humbled!!

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Chapter 5

The orange-head shifted in bed, sitting up and turning his face towards the window in an effort to figure out what time of day it was. The air on his face was cool; he assumed that it was still night, and therefore he should try to go back to sleep.

Listening, he managed to pick out the sound of Renji's soft breathing nearby. _Good, at least he's still sleeping…_

Ichigo sighed, flopping back down to the bed and closing his eyes, pulling the cover back over his shoulders in an attempt to go back to sleep. He moved around uncomfortably; that dream had given him a bit of a problem. He growled softly to himself, and then pushed himself to his feet, wanting to go to the bathroom to take care of it.

But now he was presented with an even bigger problem; getting around Renji without waking the redheaded _shinigami._ It was already a bit of a surprise that Renji hadn't woken, so he had to do his best not to wake him. He _really_ didn't want Renji to know what had just happened. Ichigo growled to himself again, slowly sinking to his knees, a faint blush of shame across his features as he went to his hands and knees to feel his way around Renji's futon.

His hands skimmed the floor, feeling for the edge of the redhead's futon and beginning to go around it. His hand suddenly collided with skin, and with a soft gasp he flinched backwards, holding his breath as he waited to see if Renji would wake up or not.

Sure enough the redhead was awoken with a simple touch, just like always, and Ichigo swore inwardly when he heard the shifting of blankets, indicating that the other had sat up. "Ichigo? What are you doing?"

"I…" Ichigo stumbled for an answer. "I needed to go to the bathroom, and I didn't want to wake you up or anything. I still don't have where you are in the room memorized, nor my room."

Renji groaned softly, and then a hand wrapped around Ichigo's wrist, causing the orange-head to flinch. "Well come on, I'll help ya around."

"No!" Ichigo said frantically, trying to curl in on himself as Renji tried to get him to straighten. "I'm fine!"

"No, you're obviously not if you're crawlin' around. Come on, Ichigo, it's not that big of a deal, now stand up so you're not down here on the floor." Renji protested, his grip tightening and the pull increasing.

Ichigo continued to pull back, shaking his head. "Really, Renji, I'm fine! Let go! I can do it myself!"

"Ichigo, you're being ridiculous!" Renji said sharply. "Stand up, you dolt!"

A great yank on his wrist startled Ichigo, and he was pulled up and to his feet, fully exposing the tent in his boxers. Renji froze, and Ichigo felt embarrassment flame on his cheeks. He quickly yanked his hand away, turning in an attempt to cover himself.

Renji was quiet for a long moment, an awkward silence settling between them. Suddenly the redhead spoke, and Ichigo's blank eyes widened as he heard the amusement and a sort of sultriness in the other's voice. "Well, well. I wasn't dreaming earlier."

"D-Dreaming?" Ichigo stuttered out, taking a step back and away from the redhead in front of him.

"Yea, don't you know that you talk when you dream?" Renji asked, his voice still that same smooth, velvety sound. "I thought I was dreaming for a little while, but apparently I wasn't."

Ichigo swallowed thickly. "I don't know w-what you mean."

Renji chuckled, taking a step forward and putting his body uncomfortably close to Ichigo. The orange-head automatically started to step backwards, but Renji's arm was around his waist as quick as a flash, pulling their bodies together. "Sure you don't. So what was all that moanin' of my name, then?"

Ichigo's mouth fell open, but he couldn't get anything to come out. He swallowed thickly, his face flaming red, his eyes staring up into Renji's face. Renji's grin widened, and he leaned forward so Ichigo could feel his hot breath across his lips. Ichigo shied away, trying to wrench himself away from Renji's grip once again, but failing again. The redhead's grip on him was too firm.

"Well then? Got an answer for me, or do I have to… tease it out of you?" Renji asked, his voice lowering to a low timbre that sent shivers up and down Ichigo's spine.

"I-I…" Ichigo stuttered out. His voice had failed him at this point and time, his body burning from the proximity of Renji's muscular, taller frame. Renji chuckled as he felt the press of the younger's desire against his thigh, and then decided not to wait for an answer that Ichigo obviously couldn't force out.

He leaned forward, sealing their lips together. Ichigo's eyes widened, his hands rising to press at Renji's shoulders as he started to struggle. The redhead held him tightly, his other hand rising up to fist in the orange hair to hold the other in place. Ichigo let out a muffled sound into Renji's lips, and then growled faintly.

Deciding not to be outdone, Ichigo raised both hands to tangle them in Renji's long red locks, fighting for the dominance that Renji had taken from the beginning of the kiss. Renji growled appreciatively, pressing back harder and slipping his tongue between the orange-head's lips, causing the younger to squeak faintly and lose the ground that he had gained.

Renji turned their bodies, forcing Ichigo to walk backwards until his knees hit the bed and he fell onto the mattress, grunting softly as Renji landed on top of him. Their lips disconnected at this point, and Renji moved his mouth down Ichigo's neck, licking and nipping the entire way. Ichigo gasped, throwing his head back at the sensation and arching his back up. His hips ground against Renji's, making the redhead growl and press harder on his body, pressing him into the bed.

Ichigo groaned at the pressure, his erection throbbing as he pushed back at Renji, his hands working where they were trapped against the bed by Renji's hands around his wrists. Renji latched onto the orange-head's pulse point, biting harshly and making a breathy gasp escape Ichigo's shuddering lips. The redhead ground their erections together, and Ichigo's head pressed back into the pillow, his mouth working silently as his groin tightened.

The mere sight of Ichigo's body convulsing as he came caused Renji to groan and release, his arms going around Ichigo's shoulders and clutching the smaller man to his chest, his face buried in the other's throat.

The two lay together for a long moment, breathing heavily on Ichigo's bed, their bodies cooling down marginally. After a moment Renji pushed himself up on shaky arms, grinning widely down at the sweaty orange-head beneath him.

"Well, that was fun."

Ichigo snorted, a slight grin coming to his face. "Get offa me, I need to change. I feel disgusting."

Renji's grin turned playful. "Well, we could always go clean up together…"

Ichigo's grin turned to a frown. "Don't push it."

The redhead pouted, but climbed off of Ichigo anyway, agreeing with the need to change his pants. As the two changed in silence, Ichigo mused.

"However, I would consider later."

Renji's grin returned full force.


	6. Chapter 6

Yay another chapter! Only two left! I'm thinking of posting those two at the same time... Or I might be evil and not... -evil grin and shifty eyes-

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Chapter 6

Brown eyes fluttered open in the light of the morning, Ichigo's body stretching and then relaxing back against the warmth that he had been cuddled up to. He breathed in deeply, burying his nose against the warm skin beneath his cheek, a smile on his lips.

The arm around his waist tightened gently, and a nose snuffled lightly in his hair, making his grin widen a little at the tickling sensation. The muscular limbs restraining him moved again, pulling his body closer to the broad chest he was laying against and pressing on his ribs in a tight squeeze. Ichigo grunted softly, wriggling to get comfortable, and then going still against his bedmate.

"You ever going to be still?"

The voice was soft and sleep-laden, thick in Ichigo's ears. The orange-head smiled, turning his head until he felt the soft breath against his forehead. "Maybe if you would stop putting me in uncomfortable positions."

Renji huffed faintly, but loosened his grip on Ichigo's ribcage just a little. Ichigo closed his blank eyes, shifting and searching until his cheek found Renji's shoulder, relaxing his body and nuzzling against his new lover. Renji's lips gently touched his forehead, soft and warm.

The two of them had lain together for the entire night, sleeping comfortably in each other's embrace. After cleaning up their mess from earlier, Ichigo had been content to simply be with the redhead, and Renji had been happy to just hold him. It made Ichigo feel safe and comforted, to be in that strong grip.

Renji lifted his head from the pillow, and then released his hold on Ichigo's smaller body, stretching out his longer form. Ichigo grumbled as he was dislodged from his comfortable position, but sat up as Renji did.

"Come on, we need a shower." Renji murmured. While they had changed and cleaned up a little last night, neither one of them had showered. It had been too late, and both had been too tired. Ichigo nodded, cracking his back as he rose from the bed.

Renji's hand slipped into his own a moment later, and Ichigo reluctantly allowed himself to be led to the bathroom. He would have rather done it on his own, but he knew that Renji was just trying to help, and possibly get himself into a better position.

The redhead left him at the door, but before he could leave Ichigo gathered his courage and reached out, grabbing his wrist. "Wait!"

Renji turned his head, his eyes looking to Ichigo's downturned face. He blinked at the faint sheen of red that dusted the bridge of Ichigo's nose and across his cheeks, and then grinned faintly. "Yes, Ichigo?"

"You… You said we both needed a shower. Where are you going?" Ichigo asked, his voice getting stronger as he raised his head slightly, his blank eyes rising towards Renji's face.

The redhead grinned at those words, turning and taking a step towards the smaller man. "Well, if that's what you want…"

Ichigo nodded, the red on his cheeks getting a little stronger. His hand slowly fell from Renji's wrist, but the redhead moved after him anyway, the warmth of his body letting Ichigo know that he was following. Ichigo swallowed faintly as he heard the bathroom door shut, and then he reached up, pulling his shirt off over his head.

There was a purr from Renji, and Ichigo swallowed again, his fingers fumbling with his pants. Renji's voice was soft as he spoke a moment later. "Ichigo, if this makes you uncomfortable…"

"No!" Ichigo said sharply. "I'm not scared!" With that he threw his shorts down, standing fully exposed in front of Renji's red-brown eyes.

Ichigo flinched as Renji's warm hands touched his shoulders, not expecting it. The redhead then wrapped an arm around Ichigo's waist, pulling him close to his body. Ichigo blushed faintly as he felt their bare skin pressed together, and the hardness of Renji's desire against his hip.

"What a pity that I was never treated to this before…" Renji purred in the younger man's ear, making the blush on Ichigo's cheeks deepen. "You're quite the looker, Ichigo."

The orange-head turned his head away from Renji, anger filtering into his body. "I wish… I wish that I could see you."

Renji's hands were warm and large as they encased Ichigo's, leading his hands upward until his fingers connected with Renji's angular face. Ichigo blinked, raising his eyes slightly. He could hear the smile in Renji's next statement. "But you _can_ see me. Just because you can't see with your eyes doesn't mean you can't at all." Renji's hand pressed down, shaping Ichigo's palm to the curve of his cheek. "See with your hands, Ichigo."

Ichigo blinked in surprise, and then his hands began to trail across Renji's face, his fingers gentle and precise as they scanned the features set before him. Renji's face was all angles, sharp and defined. Ichigo's hands were gentle as they ran over his sharp nose and full lips, across closed eyelids and down defined cheekbones.

As soon as Ichigo's hands moved down to settle on his shoulders, Renji could resist no longer. He reached up, taking Ichigo's face between his hands and bringing their lips together harshly, nipping and sucking as their mouths moved together. Ichigo moaned softly, his eyes slipping closed as Renji pressed him backward and into the shower stall, his fingers fumbling for the knob.

Warm water cascaded down over them, and Ichigo let out a sigh of relief at the feel of the water. Renji's touch blended with the liquid shimmering over his skin, and Ichigo wrapped his arms around Renji's neck as the redhead pushed him up the wall, trailing kisses down his throat and collarbone.

_"Renji…"_

_"Shh… Just feel…"_

* * *

Ichigo lay awake long into the night that evening, his unseeing eyes staring at the wall while his fingers traced over the angles of Renji's body. The redhead was sleeping soundly on his back on Ichigo's bed, one arm wrapped around Ichigo's waist and the other laying at his side. Ichigo's head was on Renji's shoulder, his right hand moving slowly across the other's muscular chest.

He just couldn't stop touching him. Ichigo's hand wandered whether he wanted it to or not, tracing the bones, the muscles, moving across the slightly raised skin of Renji's tattoos and down the muscles of his abdomen. It was as though his hand had a mind of its own. He was sore, but it wasn't something that he was bothered with.

He blushed at that thought, his hand stilling momentarily but starting up again as Renji shifted in his sleep, the stillness beginning to wake him. He smiled faintly, pressing his cheek briefly against the warm skin beneath his cheek.

_**Are ya happy, aibou?**_

Ichigo's response was nothing but a glowing burst of warmth over the Hollow, which made him sigh in content. Warmth was not something he got often; after all, it felt nice.

_**I think I like it when yer in love, aibou. It's all warm in 'ere.**_

_Shut it, Shiro._

The Hollow went silent, and Ichigo closed his eyes, snuggling closer to Renji's body and trying to sleep. Throughout the day Ichigo had discovered more and more what his feelings were. After their… exploits in the shower, the orange-head had definitely felt closer to Renji, but he was still unsure of what to call their relationship. The fated three words had never been said, and though they had had sex twice, Ichigo wasn't sure what Renji thought.

He definitely felt like he was in love. He'd been attracted to the redhead for some time, and as such couldn't be happier with this turn of events. But as for Renji, the redhead could be thinking anything.

Ichigo shifted uncomfortably at that thought. What if Renji just saw them as fuck-buddies? Or what if he was only doing this because he pitied Ichigo for his disability?

At that thought Ichigo pushed himself up, his face back in its customary scowl. _I don't need the pity… _

_**Hey, aibou. There's a Hollow nearby, ya might wanna wake tha Pineapple.**_

Ichigo shook his head, pushing himself off the bed and feeling around his side table drawer for something that he hadn't used in a few weeks. As the familiar shape of his _shinigami-daikou_ badge came into contact with his fingers, he pressed it to his chest, feeling the weight of his corporeal body fall away.

He quickly turned and caught his body, laying it down on the floor so Renji wouldn't notice. Luckily the redhead was still sound asleep, leaving Ichigo free to leap from the balcony window, his minimal reiatsu sensing skills leading him through the streets towards the Hollow.

_**I gotta bad feelin' abou' this…**_

* * *

Renji awoke with a start, his red-brown eyes flying open in the darkness of the room. Unsure of why he had woken so violently, he searched the room, trying to figure out what had startled him.

It was then that he realized that he was alone in the bed. He blinked, a bit of worry flooding through him at the absence of Ichigo's warm body, sitting up and looking towards the door.

The sight of Ichigo lying on the floor next to the bed made his heart speed for a second, but as he leaned down he realized that the body was empty; Ichigo was gone.

_What the… where could he have gone? He can't see!_

**Take a guess. **

Renji frowned, turning his head toward the window as he tried to discern what Zabimaru meant. His eyes widened a moment later.

_A Hollow… He couldn't have!_

The redhead was up and running, his hand wrapped around Zabimaru's hilt as his gigai fell to the bed uselessly. His heart was in his throat as he ran, chasing the faint star of Ichigo's reiatsu that was miles ahead of him.

_Ichigo, you idiot!_

* * *

BWHAHAHAHAHAHAAA!! CLIFFHANGER!! Don't worry, I'll post the next chapter... eventually... XP


	7. Chapter 7

Alright! One more chapter after this, and don't worry, I won't leave you hanging for long...

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Chapter 7

_**Aibou, this is stupid! Ya need ta go back an' get tha Pineapple! We can't see! Yer gonna get us killed!**_

_Shut up, Shiro! _Ichigo growled as he raised a hand to grasp Zangetsu's hilt. _I don't need the help, I'm not helpless! Now shut up so I can focus!_

Shiro could do nothing more than comply as they came to where the Hollow was, chasing a small child spirit down the street. Ichigo could easily feel the reiatsu of this Hollow, it was rather powerful. The energy felt almost like a snake or a whip, and as he came near, Ichigo heard the Hollow hiss in surprise.

"A _shinigami_? I certainly never expected that to happen. I could do with a treat though, you came at the right time, boy."

The voice was much like the reiatsu, hissing and snakelike as it came to Ichigo's ears. He pulled Zangetsu from his back, the bandages unraveling from the blade to float around his body in an almost protective gesture. Ichigo narrowed his eyes, trying to pinpoint the Hollow. His eyes ached and he hissed slightly in pain, but reiatsu pulsed in front of him, leaving a faint outline of what looked like a lizard.

The Hollow tilted its head, moving closer as it looked at Ichigo. "What's this? You're blind, boy?" It laughed. "And you came after me anyway! This is rich! Ablind _shinigami!_ Now I've seen it all!"

Ichigo growled, leaping forward to slash at the Hollow that he could barely sense in front of him. He felt Zangetsu's blade skim the Hollow's skin, but there was no cut.

The Hollow leapt away, a little shocked. "Well now, maybe you're not as helpless as you look. Let's get on with this then, shall we? I'm starved!"

The orange-head had barely a second's notice as the Hollow slithered toward him, faster than his sensing capabilities could match. Claws collided with his chest, ripping open his skin through his _shihakshou_ and sending him flying backwards. He landed on his feet, skidding backwards with Zangetsu still raised in front of him, attempting to protect his front.

_**Damnit! Come on, aibou, we need help! At least let me help you!**_

_SHUT UP, SHIRO!_

Ichigo ran forward, raising Zangetsu and slashing at the Hollow, who moved out of the way without trouble. It was silent now, knowing that if it was quiet then Ichigo would not be able to use his hearing to his advantage. Ichigo's eyes darted back and forth on reflex, searching for the Hollow that he could not see.

_Schloop._

Ichigo's eyes widened, his mouth opening in shock as blood moved up his esophagus to pour from his lips. His eyes moved down, but they couldn't see what had happened.

The Hollow grinned wickedly, shifting it's claw where the appendage was buried through Ichigo's stomach, making Ichigo gasp in pain, Zangetsu falling from cold, trembling hands. The Hollow's other claws, which were curved around Ichigo's thighs, began to squeeze, restraining Ichigo tightly.

The orange-head tried to push himself away from the Hollow, but another movement of the claw buried in his body made him cry out in pain, more blood spilling from his mouth.

_**Aibou! Let me out, I can take care o' this Hollow! Aibou! AIBOU!**_

But Ichigo could hardly hear his Hollow's screams. His body was cold, his mind beginning to slip. He faintly heard the chuckle of the Hollow, and then his mind fled.

* * *

Renji felt Ichigo's reiatsu dim, and then burst onto the street where they were just in time to see Ichigo slip into unconsciousness, going limp. Zabimaru left its sheath with a roar, transforming without Renji's call as the redhead's anger burst forth.

The Hollow squealed in shock as Zabimaru's sharp edges dug into its shoulder, yanking its hand back and taking Ichigo's limp body with it. Renji ran forward, diving towards Ichigo to try and rescue him, but the Hollow seemed to realize what was happening, pulling Ichigo close to its chest as it sat up on its hind legs.

"Well, well, another little _shinigami. _It must be my lucky night, to run into two of you. I take it you're here to save this idiot who attacked me while he was blind."

Renji was forced to skid to a halt as the Hollow held a claw up towards Ichigo, shifting the one that was still embedded in the orange-head's stomach. Ichigo moaned in pain, struggling briefly as he slipped in and out of consciousness. "Let him go." Renji growled, his hands tightening on Zabimaru's hilt as he took a step forward.

The Hollow's wicked grin widened, the tip of a claw tilting Ichigo's head back to expose his throat, running along the pale skin and leaving a faint line of blood. "Ah ah, I would press it. Come any closer and I'll slit his pretty little throat."

Renji snarled faintly in his throat, his eyes flickering back and forth between Ichigo and the Hollow. He knew that the orange-head was losing too much blood; it was pooling beneath the Hollow, soaking Ichigo's legs as it flowed from the wound in his stomach. The Hollow still hadn't removed the claw that was through Ichigo's body, but Renji knew that when it did, the blood flow would increase, leaving Ichigo in the danger zone. Already he was growing startlingly pale, and his reiatsu was fading fast.

The redhead narrowed his eyes, focusing everything he had into his _shunpo_. The Hollow's eyes widened as he vanished, but before he could dig his claws into Ichigo's skin, Renji appeared before him, hand raised.

"Hadou 31! Shakkahou!"

The kidou exploded in the face of the Hollow, making it squeal in shock, its claw falling away from Ichigo's throat. This gave Renji enough time to raise Zabimaru and pierce the mask, the Hollow's body dissolving as the redhead leapt down to catch Ichigo as he fell.

Renji sank to his knees on the street, cradling Ichigo's body to him as he let Zabimaru fall to the pavement, his hand going up to cup Ichigo's cheek, trying to get a response from him. "Ichigo! Ichigo, come on, open your eyes!"

Ichigo moaned softly, and then his eyelashes fluttered, soot-colored against pale skin. Renji felt his heart wrench as the orange-head coughed wetly, blood leaking down his cheek. "Ren…"

The redhead sheathed Zabimaru and then pushed himself to his feet, clutching Ichigo's cold body to his chest and stepping into one of the fastest _shunpo_ he had ever done. "Hold on Ichigo, I'll get you to Orihime, everything will be fine."

"I'm sorry…" Ichigo whispered. "I just wanted… to show you that I'm not helpless… I'm not… Don't pity me…"

Renji looked down in shock. "Is that what this is about? You think that I pity you? Ichigo, I never thought that way!"

Ichigo sighed faintly, and then his eyes finally fluttered open. Renji skidded to a halt to avoid dropping Ichigo in shock, his red-brown eyes locked with Ichigo's chocolate ones.

The shine was back in Ichigo's eyes, the life, determination, and fire that made him who he was had returned. They were glimmering with tears, and something else that Renji couldn't identify, but they were alive again. Ichigo chuckled faintly, bitterly. "I guess I was stupid, huh?"

Renji nodded dumbly, staring at him.

"I wanted you to know…" Ichigo murmured. "Thanks… Thanks for helping me…"

Renji could only watch in fear and horror as the light began to leave Ichigo's eyes once more, leaving them dead and unseeing. "I'm glad I could see you… one last time… I just wish…" He smiled slightly, a gurgling sound in his throat as he tried to breathe in. Renji swallowed thickly; Ichigo was drowning in his own blood as it came up his throat. "I wish I could have told you… how much I really love you…"

The redhead's eyes widened, and he gasped in shock. "Ichigo…"

There was no response, only Ichigo's dead eyes staring up at him silently.

"No… No! Don't you die on me, you idiot!" Renji screamed, running forward again, nearly flying over the ground as he shot towards Orihime's house.

"Rukia!" he cried as he got to the door. "Rukia, Orihime! Open the door!"

The door flew open and Rukia's angry gaze met Renji's terrified one, but a moment later her eyes widened and she stepped back as she saw Ichigo's limp and bloody form in Renji's arms. "Orihime!" she cried into the darkness of the house, her voice a little terrified.

The orange-haired girl appeared a moment later, her hands flying to her mouth in shock as she saw him. "Kurosaki-kun!" She instantly went into action, directing Renji to lay Ichigo down on the floor, knowing that she had to get started as soon as possible.

The soothing golden glow encased Ichigo's body as soon as Renji stepped away, and the redhead moved back to watch, his red-brown eyes worried and hurt.

It was now that he realized what he had seen in Ichigo's eyes just before the light had faded. The first thing that Ichigo had seen had been his face, and there had been only one thing buried in his gaze, something that he had been desperately trying to communicate when he thought that he was going to die.

Love.


	8. Chapter 8

I must say, this is kinda sad... this is the final chapter... I cry! Well, it's certainly been fun, 4,146 hits later, and a whoping 93 (jaw drops) reviews, it's done! I had so much fun with this story, and I must say, it's one of my most popular ones! (In my top 15 with reviews, alerts, favs, and almost hits! I feel so honored!) This story didn't really start out as much for me, but I must admit that it went a whole lot farther than I thought it would. I enjoyed writing this, and I hope that you enjoyed reading it!

* * *

Chapter 8

It was a long night.

Orihime had managed to heal Ichigo completely; all of them breathing a sigh of relief when Ichigo was finally out of the danger zone. Wanting him to be comfortable, and so as not to be a bother to Orihime and Rukia, Renji had then carried him home, carefully cradling the sleeping man in his arms.

Ichigo had slept deeply the whole way there, cuddled up to Renji's chest with one hand tangled in the cloth of his _shihakshou._ Once settled in his bed, Ichigo had lay still, only whimpering faintly when Renji had moved away to slip back into his gigai and carefully lay Ichigo in his own body.

The redhead had then climbed into the bed wearily, pulling the blankets over their bodies and slipping up behind Ichigo, fitting their bodies together carefully. He wrapped an arm over Ichigo's waist, pulling him flush against his chest so that they were molded together; wanting to make sure that he knew Ichigo was really there.

Renji shivered faintly. _I almost lost him tonight. Over something as simple as a small Hollow and his own pride. I almost lost him…_

He put his chin against Ichigo's shoulder, laying his head against Ichigo's cheek and filling his lungs with the man's scent. His hand sought out Ichigo's and he wound his fingers through Ichigo's limp ones, repressing his body's shivers and the rapid thudding of his heart. His reiatsu threaded out, tangling with the lingering traces of Ichigo's and wrapping securely around the man, cradling him in warmth and protection. Renji breathed deep, shuddering again and pressing his body closer to Ichigo.

After a few moments of being wrapped around Ichigo body and soul, the man began to come to, his eyelids fluttering and his body shifting where it was tightly embraced. Ichigo awoke to the warm tendrils of Renji's reiatsu tangled around him, and his body restrained in Renji's muscular arms.

Ichigo blinked, looking to the side where he could barely see Renji's face where it rested against his cheek. "R-Renji?"

Renji turned his head, burying his nose in the hollow just below Ichigo's left ear, not responding. Ichigo wriggled slightly, trying to turn to so he could see the redhead, but Renji's hold was too tight on him.

"Renji, talk to me. What's going on? What's wrong with you?" Ichigo asked, worry creeping into his voice.

"Don't." Renji said softly, his limbs starting to relax a little. "Don't you ever do that again."

Ichigo managed to turn over, his eyes widening at the sight of Renji's downturned eyes sparkling faintly with unshed tears. The orange-head felt something in his chest ache at that sight; Renji was too strong to cry. "Renji, I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

Renji snapped, wrapping his hands around Ichigo's biceps and shaking him hard, anger flaring in his eyes as the angry and frustrated tears escaped from his eyes. "_Sorry doesn't cut it, Ichigo!_" Renji roared in his face. "_You almost died because you're too __**goddamn stubborn**__ to admit when you need to sit back and let others do the work! I almost lost you because of your __**stupid attitude**__!" _

Renji growled, looking away. His voice grew softer, more hurt coming out. "I don't need to lose anyone else that I care about. The people that I lost in the Rukongai were enough. Losing Momo was enough."

As these words faded Renji's hands fell away from Ichigo's arms, leaving faint marks on the orange-head's skin as he stared at Renji with wide chocolate eyes. He stared at him for a moment, and then his face softened, and he shifted forward, carefully wrapping his arms around under Renji's arms, his hands latching onto his broad shoulders.

"I'm sorry." Ichigo murmured against the other's bare skin. "I know that that's not good enough, but I'm still sorry. I… I guess I wasn't thinking. I should have called you, because I knew that I couldn't handle it."

Renji scoffed faintly. "Of course you should have called me. You should never have left in the first place on your own."

Ichigo sighed. "I know. I was… I was stupid. And I'm sorry."

The redhead was silent for a moment, and then sighed, wrapping his arms around Ichigo's slender form and holding him close, breathing deep of his scent once more. "Alright, you're forgiven. I guess I can't get mad at you for something I probably would have done myself."

Ichigo chuckled at that, leaning away from Renji to look at him. "That's true, you hypocrite."

"Hey, at least I could admit it."

The orange-head nodded, and then relaxed against the bed, sighing contentedly as he kept his eyes on Renji's face. Renji returned his gaze for a long while, and then blinked in confusion. "What are you staring at me for?"

Ichigo snorted. "What do you think? I haven't seen you for so long, and now I finally get to again…" He raised his hand, gently running his fingers over the sharp angle of Renji's cheekbone. "Now I know what I was missing before."

Renji pressed his face into Ichigo's palm, smiling faintly. "I think I liked it better when you were blind. The touching to see was a lot more fun."

At those words Ichigo grinned almost wickedly. "Whoever said that was going to stop? Personally I think I liked that better as well."

The redhead chuckled evilly, diving in to claim Ichigo's lips with his own, their reiatsu meshing together and filling the room with warmth and pleasure.

* * *

Ichigo lay still as he allowed his breathing to settle down to a normal pace, his fingers still weakly entwined with Renji's where their hands lay on the pillow beside his head. Renji's cheek was hot on his chest, his breath burning across his collarbone as the redhead settled his own breathing. The orange-head sighed heavily, his fingers moving slowly through the strands of red that decorated his chest, Renji's hair having come loose at some point.

Renji purred faintly at the sensation of Ichigo's fingers moving through his hair, closing his red-brown eyes in contentment. His hand tightened where it was tangled with Ichigo's, squeezing gently and lovingly.

"Renji…"

"Hmm?"

Ichigo closed his eyes, his hand stilling in Renji's hair before slowly beginning to stroke along his scalp again. Renji sighed contentedly, relaxing. Ichigo's voice was soft and soothing when he spoke next. "I never did get to tell you…"

Renji's eyes opened, his head turning to he could look up into Ichigo's warm chocolate eyes. "Tell me what?"

Ichigo grinned. "I love you. I don't know when it started, and hell if I know how it works, but I know that I love you, more than I have anyone else. You make me feel… complete, safe. Like I don't have to prove myself to you, like I have to everyone else." Ichigo grinned. "You make me feel like I belong, like I don't have to fight to have my place in the world."

Renji blinked in shock at this little declaration, and then he smiled softly, scooting up to press a gentle kiss against Ichigo's lips. His hand was gentle as it smoothed the orange bangs away from Ichigo's forehead, his red-brown eyes dancing faintly. "Stupid. You didn't need to tell me that you loved me. I already knew." His grin widened. "And I love you too."

The orange-head felt a weight lift off of his chest, and his smile grew more heartfelt and relieved, his head rolling to the side on the pillow so he could press his face against Renji's throat. "I'm so glad…"

They were quiet for a moment, and then Renji chuckled, squeezing Ichigo faintly. "You better not be going soft on me, Kurosaki, that was pretty mushy for a guy like you."

Ichigo growled, his face tightening in a glare. "What's that supposed to mean?.! I just told you something really important and that's what I get?.! Ungrateful bastard!"

"Ow, hey, that hurts!"

"Well you shoulda thought of that!"

"Ichigo! HEY! Ichigo, that's not supposed to bend that way! _**ICHIGO!!**_"


End file.
